June 16, 2000, is when everything changed.
I’d just finished my sophomore year of college and was one of four summer interns working in the missions department at my home church. The other interns were Kay Bridgwater, whom I’d grown up with, and Jerrell Altic, a college student from Missouri. Kay and Jerrell had met the previous summer as missions interns and by the end of it they were in l-o-v-e. The fourth intern was going to be another guy from Missouri named Curt Jones. Everyone already knew him well but I’d never met him. Strangely, our two bosses, William and Bob, seemed to think This Curt Jones Guy and I were going to hit it off and get married.
Seriously? For once I was hoping not to be distracted by a boy. I didn’t really want to hear about my supposed future with some guy from Missouri named Curt Jones. At the same time, Curt Jones was having to hear about some chick named Amanda Moore down in Houston and he didn’t really want to hear it either.
The week of June 16, 2000, we were in Missouri helping lead an event called Mission Vision. Mission Vision consisted of a handful of youth groups and leaders staying in Hamlin Baptist Church. We did missions training and various projects during the day and at night we had speakers, a drama group called Clear Vision, and worship with By the Tree.
After Mission Vision, This Curt Jones Guy was going to come back to Houston with us and work for the rest of the summer. I hoped that at least he’d be cool and we’d get along well.
I should mention that I didn’t even want to go to Mission Vision. I can’t remember how I justified to my boss, William Taylor, that I would need to come home early. He conceded and I had a plane ticket to get me home in the middle of the week. I was such a good intern! Bless my heart, we were only a week into the job and I’d not yet realized how much dying to self ministry requires. I’m definitely not done learning that lesson.
Back to June 16, 2000.
Mission Vision hadn’t yet started. Jerrell, Kay and I drove over to the home of This Curt Jones Guy to pick him up and go to a water park in Branson for the day. Curtis got in Jerrell’s Chevy Blazer and had his cap so low over his face that I couldn’t even tell what he looked like. Of course I was trying to figure that out. Even though I was trying not to go there, I remember reasoning that if our bosses’ predictions turned out to be right, I would always remember meeting him there in the driveway. But surely they were wrong.
We had a great time at Whitewater with no shortage of awkward moments. Really, who wants to be in a bathing suit the first time they meet a new co-worker? At one point we were waiting to get our tubes to take up to the top of a water slide. I was first in line and the next tube that came was a double. If I took it, then I’d have to get in it with This Curt Jones Guy I barely knew. No thank you. I let it pass and took a single. Awkward! Jerrell, of course, called attention to the weird moment and I’ve never lived it down.
I couldn’t tell what Curt’s personality was like until the four of us had a little brainstorming session while sitting in front of the wave pool on some lounge chairs. Curt was in charge of student recreation at Mission Vision and we were helping him think of a theme. Here’s what we came up with in our 20-year-old humor and brilliance – The Toilet Bowl: Like the Super Bowl, but Different! Nice, right? The daily rec prizes were a plunger, a toilet paper roll, a toilet seat, and a bed pan. We spray painted everything gold. And that is how I bonded with my future husband.
That night – June 16, 2000 – found the four of us praying in Jerrell’s parents’ living room. We prayed for Mission Vision and for our summer serving together. I got a peek into the heart of This Curt Jones Guy as he prayed for God to be exalted.
The recreation ministry required many, many trips to Walmart and Curtis always invited me to ride along with him. I’ve never been a big fan of Walmart, but I have a lot of affection for this one particular store where I happened to fall in love with my husband. We’ve never really had a song, but we do have “our Walmart.”
I remember seeing Curt’s sweet Grandma Dixon for the first time. She was serving food to all the students and I thought she and Curtis looked alike. Curt’s younger sister, Lindsay, was attending Mission Vision as a high school student. We shared a mirror one morning in the bathroom and I wondered if I would be getting to know her soon.
It was only by God’s grace and sovereignty that I ever got the job as a missions intern. Unfortunately, I’d skipped out on the youth group experience in high school and had never been on a mission trip. We were training kids how to share their faith and I had no idea how to share mine! Every day we took a group of kids to a different setting to share their faith. Curtis took it upon himself to be my partner and teach me how to do this. I’m naturally a pretty shy person and witnessing to someone I didn’t know was way, way, way outside my comfort zone. But Curtis was amazing at it. I was blown away watching him turn countless conversations with strangers toward Christ.
Not only was This Curt Jones Guy funny, not only was he great at leading rec time, not only did he have beautiful blue eyes that both of my children now have, he was passionate about leading people to Christ. I liked this guy! Curtis and I have a deep sense of partnership in ministry and there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s because of those times we went out and shared our faith together.
Needless to say, I decided to cancel my mid-week trip home.
On the last full day of Mission Vision, we went to do some evangelism on Commercial Street. I really liked This Curt Jones Guy but I didn’t know if we would be more than friends. Another leader even asked me if we liked each other and I denied it. A few minutes later Curtis and I went into a soda fountain type of place and sat down at the counter. We ordered Dr. Peppers and hoped to share the Gospel with the server. The first thing out of the server’s mouth was, “Are you two married?” It was becoming clear that God was growing our hearts together. That night we finally admitted to each other what had been obvious to everyone else.
The day after Mission Vision wrapped up, I was supposed to fly home with Kay and Jerrell and Curtis was going to drive his car down to Houston. I decided to cancel my flight – again – and make the drive with Curtis. We had twelve hours to talk about everything under the sun. Every time we make that drive from Springfield to Houston, we point out all the places we stopped on our first trip. A lot of times we play the old Shane and Shane and Enter the Worship Circle CD’s we listened to. I had no idea how familiar I would become with those small towns along the road in Oklahoma. There are some very creatively named churches along the way, which inspired a game called “What would you name a church?” When we stopped to get gas in Huntsville, Texas, I called Mom and said that This Curt Jones Guy and I would be home soon and to please make Dad behave. They instantly knew.
Next week we get to celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary and our tenth year of being together. There’s something so great about knowing we’ve been together for a decade. I love it. It feels like something to celebrate.
A few years ago my engagement ring cracked where I’d had it re-sized. I had it repaired but it was wearing very thin again. While we were in Missouri I took my engagement ring to the jeweler it was purchased from and had them make me a new white gold tiffany setting. I handed over my ring and watched the jeweler pry open the prongs and dump out the diamond. It had an unbelievable amount of gunk underneath it. If nothing else, it would look a hundred times better just from the stone being cleaned! They handed the old ring back to me empty. I waited in anticipation for five days and finally, on our way home from Silver Dollar City in Branson, I got to pick up my diamond in a brand new band. It was beautiful! My round solitaire looked so happy and shiny. It had been a long time since it looked like that. I sort of wished I’d made this investment sooner. If Curtis had given me a brand new diamond three times as big as that one it would not have thrilled me as much as seeing that same one looking just as pretty as the day he gave it to me. Prettier, really, since it represented everything that we have been through and done together.
Our marriages are somewhat like my engagement ring. The core – the diamond – holds a great love story with lots of passion and commitment. But everyday wear and tear and the occasional traumatic event can do a number on the metal that holds it together. Some of our rings could just use some polishing while others need some real restoration. God can do both! Remember that He loves marriage. He created it, after all. I’m praying that God will show each one of us a specific way we can invest in our marriage to strengthen it and bring out its beauty.
Beautiful! An absolutely beautiful love story written by God! Thanks for sharing, Amanda. Gives me hope.
Eposi
Love this! I’m from Springfield! Great area =)
I married “that Tim Cummings guy” 27 years ago. He wrote a story about our engagement ring and we won the grand prize in a contest in Bride’s magazine in 1983. This weekend when I travel to Denver (where we were married) for Deeper Still…I’m selling the gold and diamond watch he won in that contest. I’m selling it at his suggestion and with his blessing, to raise money for me to go to Africa on a missions trip this November. It just seems right that the watch has come “full circle” and is leaving our home for this reason.
Everyone needs an “our story” to tell the children and grandchildren. Yours is sweet and touching. What a joy for you to be able to tell that story over and over again to your precious little ones.
Seeing Siestas and super teachers in just a few days!!
Melana 🙂
That is so cool, Melana! Have a great time in Denver!
I read your blog but this the first time I posted. Wow how cool is that! My son was born on june 16 2000. What a blessing he is.
Amanda-
What a sweet blog. this week my husband and I will be married 27 yrs.
being together a decade is something to celebrate, so you go girl, y’all celebrate and celebrate big.
thank you for your post, there is so much more I could say, but I will leave it at this:
congrats to the boths of you, now go and enjoy and celebrate.
Amanda! What a great story!!! And I love how you can put this in your scrapbook for your kids and grandkids to read all about how you and Curt met! LOVE IT!
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
Amanda,
Thank you for sharing your love story with all of us! We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this year too (we were married on Dec. 16), and I totally can relate to how special being together a decade is!
And June 16 is something that we celebrate in our household too because that was when my husband was saved, back in 1995! I met him the week after his salvation (I was 14 and he was 18)…
It truly is amazing what miracles God can perform in our lives and marriages. The last 15 years is a testimony to that!
Much love,
Tara
amanda, thanks soooo much for sharing your precious story!!! you brought tears to my eyes and i’m inspired to keep trusting God’s incredible work of bringing just the right guy when and if he wants, and that when it’s right, it just works!! loved hearing the little details, thanks for letting us in! with prayers, love, and celebrating with you!!
Wow.. what a sweet story! That was so neat to hear! Thanks for sharing, Amanda. And Happy Anniversary to you and Curt! 🙂
Love,
Missy
Sumter, SC
You truly do have a gift for putting words together Amanda.
It’s always a joy to read what’s on your heart!
What a great love story! I loved the analogy of the ring, too. Happy Anniversary early! Love, Joan
Amanda,
Congratulations and thank you for sharing such a touching, sweet story! Your last paragraph is so very special — worth printing and looking at frequently!! I can hardly wait to share your story with my own daughter the importance of waiting upon God to send the man to pursue her heart. Thank you again!
Happy Anniversary! God has truly blessed you and your family. Your story is a testimony of God’s love.
You said something about “dying to self” I think I must have learned alot about that too, after getting married and growing in Christ over the years. I am glad the Lord is patient, merciful and full of compassion. Still learning.
My husband and I will be married 25 years in August.
We actually got married twice. Once in Germany at the chapel, then in Denmark. Both of us were in the army back in 1985, instead of waiting 6 months for the paperwork to get done in Germany, we went to Denmark to get the marriage certificate. (I know it sounds crazy, but I did pray for God to give me a husband and I told Him I would do my part to witness to as many people I could.) God answered my prayer and I did tell others about Christ. We went to the Alps for our honeymoon.
We also visited where the “Sound of Music” was made.
A year later I got out of the army and my husband stayed in. We went back to Germany later and I had twin boys
Both of us were in tears, because we knew only God could bless us so much. He is still taking care of us and we have alot to be thankful for.
I am thankful for a Christian husband who loves the Lord.
Both of my boys came to Christ also. Thank you, God.
Amanda, I pray God will bless you extra special. You are
extra-orindary Christian lady in Christ.
What a wonderful story! “but we do have our Wal-Mart” … SO funny.
I love that you wrote your story down, it was precious to read. If you ever want another blog idea, I would love for you to write more about why you “skipped out on your high school youth group experience.” Curious about how your mom handled that … oh, and I’m sure she handled it well.
Can I tell you that my first date with hubby was to Wal-Mart? He needed stuff for his new apartment and asked me to go along and help. I pretty much knew he was it after about 5 minutes.
BTW, I’m from Springfield and love hearing about your visits there. I’m a Glendale Falcon and love that you are getting to experience the Queen City of the Ozarks.
My husband and I do not have a song, either, but we have an “A&P” grocery store. No Walmarts back then.
What a beautiful post! I pray you and Curtis will have many more years of happiness together. My husband and I will celebrate 29 years this month. June is a great month to get married!
hey amanda, do you always go by amanda? random question, but i like to shorten names or give nicknames and i almost wrote you, “hey mand” like we’re old friends. it then occurred to me that you might hate it when people call you “mand” or anything besides amanda. do you?
so anyway, amanda, thank you so much for sharing your story. i always say it and i’ll say it again – i appreciate so much your willingness to share your life with us through this blog. you go from a daughter mentioned in one of your mom’s bible studies to a real, live sister-in-christ.
i’m already holding out hope that 20 years from now jackson will meet a little girl from nj named carolyn… lol 🙂
This made me smile. And? I answer to Mand and Manda, but never Mandy. 🙂
What a great story! You completely sucked me in and my kids had to holler, “Mom, the hamburgers are BURNING!” He,he. We have a June anniversary as well – the 22nd. This year is #14…and our oldest of 4 will be 9 on the 27th and our youngest will be 4 on the 23rd. My goodness how time flies! Remind me in heaven some day to tell you about MY wedding ring(s!). Have a nice week – hopefully it’s dry in Houston…we’re flooded yet again here in MO.
I loved this so much.
Amanda, what a wonderful story! Reminds me of how my husband and I got together. I had no intention of marrying him, I was just going out with him because his best friend and my best friend were brother & sister. In August we’ll celebrate 25 years. Funny how God just works things out. He is so good to us. And I loved the ring story; so true of how we let junk accumulate in our lives. Thanks for the story and happy anniversary to you both.
What a beautiful story!
I was really touched how you told how you first prayed with him on the night of the 16th while the four of you were gathered together to pray for your missions and summer together. So cool.
Thank you for sharing!
Blessings,
michelle in VT
Amanda,
I love to read “how we met stories” Thank you for sharing yours. You have your moms gift of making words take on a image.
Enjoy your anniversary and I pray the next ten years together bring glory to God.
Your next Mellisa, let’s here your story!
Amanda and Curtis congrats. I love your story telling ability. What a very sweet story to share with all of us. Marriage is such a growth experience and it is only by God’s grace that it works. I celebrated 11 years in May and I am so blessed to have the man I do. God bless you both!
This post is so much fun! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for these words of encouragement. Today, June 8th 2010, is my 8th wedding anniversary. Perfect timing! My husband and I have been together 11 years. It was so fun to hear the story of how you and Curtis met!
Happy Anniversary!
I loved getting to watch you and Curt together. You adore each other in a completely non-sickening way. 🙂
Thanks for the great word, friend! I’m so, so thankful for my husband!! And I hate how it feels when I’m not investing time and energy in my precious marriage.
Thanks for sharing how God wrote you love story. I had tears in my eyes when I finished this post…it really touched my heart. God bless you both as you serve God together. We in blog-land love you and your family so much!
Congratulations, Amanda and Curtis! I am sitting here typing this after attending a Love and Respect study, so I am “feeling” the theme of your post! My hubby and I also have “our Walmart” that played a part in our story as we met during a Christmas outreach hosted by our church — we adopted a needy family, purchased gifts, a tree, and all the essentials for a Christmas surprise. We made several trips to Walmart together in planning this project, and we still talk about how Walmart played a part in our marriage. Many blessings to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jones 🙂
“It was becoming clear that God was growing our hearts together.”
I love that! Thanks so much for sharing!
I LOVED your story! Happy Anniversary Amanda!!
Oh I love me some Jones’s! What a beautiful story that God has weaved together out of your two lives. I have been with my husband for five years, and married for three. And some days I feel the weight of those five years, and others I look upward and Praise the One who brought victory over certain insecurities and struggles individually and as a couple. Happy Anniversary- how sweet ten years must feel! I love you guys so much!
In Him,
Andrea
Congratulations Amanda! Thanks for sharing your very sweet story. I’m also celebrating 8 years of marriage today with my amazing man, also 10 years together. Isn’t it great the way God gives us the unexpected and it turns out to be so much better than our plan?!
You got married exactly the same day as our oldest daughter, and the same year as our second oldest daughter. Second daughter and Sunni were good buddies growing up. We still live in the same house down the street from Sunni’s house. Our Jonah is almost five and little Gracie is almost two. When you two were driving from Houston to Missiouri our kids were driving from Lubbock, through Abilene to Red Oak. Thank you God, for building godly marriages and for holding them together through life’s storms!
Aww! How romantic! I love hearing these kind of stories of people’s lives. Thanks for sharing with us, how you & Curtis have met. Happy early 8th Anniversary Amanda & Curtis!
My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary tonight. Just tonight at dinner I was telling him how thankful I was that God had divinely planned our paths crossing. That was before I read your blog. God is good.
Congrats! I am celebrating my 8 year as well in Oct. with my high school sweet heart. God has blessed us both with great men!
No WAY! My husband and I met on June 16, 1995 and were married Dec 20, 1997. We will celebrate 15 years together this year! What an awesome day!
Happy anniversary to ALL OF US! 🙂 (And Happy Bday to Bethie!)
Congratulations to Curtis and many blessings to you dear Sister in Christ- I adore the opportunity to share in your wonderful history. We are encouraged by such a special experience. I KNOW you two have just begun to receive the fruits of your bonding(“cleave” to your spouse) may be the biblical word- Your parents(his and yours) obviously honor your union and bless it in so many ways. They are wonderful examples to you and to all of us who hope to experience and to appropriately honor our children’s marriages and our future grandchildren. Thank you again for providing this blessed blog(my only blog)- I am ancient and have no idea how to blog- Lots of Siesta love, Kathy, Austin
Amanda- My husband and I are graduates from Southwest Baptist University. My husband,Isaac Hallock, knows Jerrell and he remembers your husband. I’m not sure if they knew each other in school or not. We both graduated in 2001.
Thanks for this wonderful post!
Congratulations to you two! I love hearing the stories of how people met and fell in love. Thank you for sharing your story!
Amanda,
This was such a sweet story! So glad it worked out with That Curt Jones Guy! 🙂
Happy Anniversary, and may God truly bless your precious little family!
Love,
Jo
Amanda,
So happy for you and Curt! Funny, my rings did the same thing…finally took them to get a new setting just Friday (altho it’s been 25 for me), so I can so relate!
I am sharing so that you would please pray for my oldest daughter who just turned 23 last week. Was so hoping she would be telling a story similar to yours as she was to be married this past Jan. They met at UT through a ministry and dated over 3 yrs. However, after a solid, Godly friendship and then romance, he broke off the engagement 3 weeks before the wedding. Can you imagine how you would feel…and then your mom?…well, that is us. Quite possibly the most painful gift God will ever give her. I am flying her up from Austin to go with me to your Mom’s conference in St. Louis and am praying for an encouraging God annointed word (as He always delivers when I sit under your mom’s teachings) as she is searching for God’s re-direction in her life now, and feeling the devastation of losing her best friend.
Sorry to share a ‘hurt’ in the midst of a ‘happy’, but I know other believers must have shared in this experience as well and just don’t talk much about it. Thank you for your listening ear, and coveted prayers for a siesta xoxo
What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing. I agree that with the shared years and tears and experiences comes a deeper and purer love. My husband and I have been together for 18 hears and treasure and love each other more every day. God truely has blessed our marriage and love. Would I have picked this guy to spend the rest of my life with …. No.
Fortunatley God knows best what we need.
Guess God was really putting together some “love stories” during June 2000!! Our daughter, Ashley had just married her love, Conn, on May 20, 2000. Since Conn was a Youth Minister at that time, she was so excited to be joining her new husband on several youth camps! At the very first youth camp she met a single young woman counselor just her age. They hit it off and Ashley knew immediately she needed to introduce this special lady to her single older brother. She showed her new friend a picture of her brother (our son) and told her she wanted to introduce them. Sharla (our soon-to-be-son’s fiance/wife) told us that God told her as soon as she saw the picture of Brandon that she would marry this man!!! And they married almost one year later on our anniversary!! They have been married 9 years now! We have now been married 38 yrs! God is so good! Thanks for sharing your sweet story! I do love a love story!!!!!
Love your story Amanda! Thank you for sharing and congratulations on 10 years with Curtis. You guys are blessed to have each other.
Such a sweet story thanks for sharing. Happy Anniversary!
What a great story!!! God is so great at working out His plans regardless of where we think we are going. My story is a little different in that I was saved but not walking like I should with the Lord and God pretty much smacked me on the back of the head the first time I saw my husband and said, “PAY ATTENTION”. I never looked back at the old life I had been living. I am not sure a burning bush would have been more obvious. We are celebrating our 15th year of marriage on July 29th and what a glorious ride it has been! Blessings to you and your man on your anniversary!
Honestly, Amanda, you are so good at every-day stories like this. The last paragraph was like a parable – drawing from normal things and seeing God in it. The Lord ALWAYS brings to my mind Romans 1:20 with stories like this: “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men is without excuse.”
All’s we have to do is open our eyes, the Lord gladly shows Himself everywhere.
My husband and I celebrated our 15th anniversary this year and the years have flown by!!! Two children later I believe we love each other so much more than when we married because we know each other so much better and have been through hard times TOGETHER!! He was my rock when my mom passed away and my dad had a stroke.
Thank you for the wise words Amanda. I’m going to clean my wedding ring right now!!